Black Friday

Today is Black Friday, arguably the most fun day of the year!  I, of course, do not participate in all the madness but  I must admit I love all the ads in the paper and contemplate braving the crowds for The Big Score. 

I do not waste my time chasing after the small stuff, oh no. So today we will travel to the Wood You store in Ocala (20.2 miles, 33 minutes) to take them up on their Black Friday offer of 20% off Everything!  Nothing held back!  Since we were planning to buy three 36" wide by 96" tall solid wood bookcases (professionally finished by them of course), 20% off makes waiting until Black Friday well worth the effort.

Yesterday I ventured to WalMart on Thanksgiving Day, not seekling bargains but rather new house essentials like (more) shelf liner, a 7 foot ladder, a kitchen mat, batteries, and other boring things definitely not on any serious Black Friday shopper's list.  At 3 pm I was pleased to find the store practically empty, no line at the Customer Service window and plenty of parking. The store employees assured me it would be a madhouse in a few hours!

Let the madness begin!

;-)

Today I Am A Villager

Today I leave my old life in South Florida far behind and become a Villager. OK, so I've had six weeks to transition by renting this adorable villa and learning my way around, taking steps to find a doctor and a nail salon and a good hair stylist and even sampling some of the activities, but it is not the same.  Buying a house means making a commitment to the neighborhood; it's a mental thing I know.

Being a Villager is not the same as moving to another town or County or even moving across state lines.  It's a state-of-mind, one that says you WILL enjoy your Golden Years, you WILL have fun and make friends and you WILL slow down and say "hi" to strangers.  You WILL help maintain the Villages' reputation as "Florida's Friendliest Hometown".

I WILL!

;-)

One More Day

Tomorrow is the closing!  We drove by the new house yesterday and saw two moving vans parked in front and stuff being carried out. In all my experience with moving I have never seen a household require a full size tractor trailer PLUS a large city van, not even our own house-fulls of furniture and worldly goods.

Don't worry house, you won't be empty for long!

;-)

Work, Work, Work

Two days to go to closing!  I am gearing up for at least two months of work, work, work and a curtailment of all other activities including social get togethers, television, reading, exploring the neighborhood and, of course, sleeping and eating.  Scott & Family's visit next week to Orlando is an exception. I can't wait to see them!  After all, cleaning and unpacking can wait, a lesson my BFF, Scott's Mom, firmly believed in.

 

Work and activity is a wonderful cure for insecurity, depression, mental instability and even some health problems. It takes your mind off of your problems and at least gives you the impression you are "doing" something and in control of your destiny.

 

But in my case, I am excited about seeing my new home come together and opening the boxes of my possessions that I haven't seen in months. It will be like Christmas morning! 

 

Two more days to closing.  Eight more days until the movers arrive. Can't wait! 

 

;-)

Wish List

With three days to go until closing on our new house I am chomping at the bit to see my beautiful new home filled with new, special stuff.  So I'm rummaging through Tuesday Morning, Ross, Pier One and other retail establishments seeking the exact right paraphernalia. I've even been reduced to checking HSN and QVC for inspiration (none there). And of course there is on-line, the easiest possible way to find whatever it is you're seeking and a whole lot of goods you never knew you needed.

I fear making a mistake in my selection of decorative items so I am valiantly trying to curb my enthusiasm.  But I am only human and my resolve is oh-so-weak. Here are a few of the purchases I've made in advance of actually occupying my new abode. I hope I did good and will not regret my alacrity.

Gorgeous vintage French Country chandelier shades for the kitchen. Come on, they were on ebay  ($30 with shipping) and I couldn't take the chance someone would snatch them up first could I?

Similarly gorgeous deep red and gold chandelier shades for the dining room, bought at Tuesday Morning at a great price ($42. for six). I love all six of the matching chandeliers in the house but prefer them with mini shades, like I had in Hollywood.

This Welcome bench for the front porch. I found it a few weeks ago at Ace Hardware and went back yesterday to get one before they are sold out.  Good deal at $69.

Black wrought iron hanging pot rack from the hospice thrift shop.  A steal at $20. I got the necessary black hooks for "free" using my cash back credit on Amazon.

I also cleaned out 100% of the white shelf liner at Walmart and also every package of gold picture hangers but that was not as much fun...

;-)
 

History

Yesterday was the 50 year anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  The TV was filled with coverage and pictures and videos of the event.  It's all history now but of course to those of us old enough to remember it, it certainly does not seem like a half century ago.

"May you live in interesting times" is often referred to as a Chinese curse.  Or is it really a blessing? 

I thank God my life commenced after the Holocaust and after World War II.  But I look back and remember so many incredible events. No wonder grandkids think their elders lived on another planet when they were young!

I remember:
Eisenhower 
Sputnik launched into space
Walking to school, carrying books before backpacks were popular
Alaska and Hawaii becoming states
Playing outside and fearlessly running around the neighborhood
Civil Rights marches, segregation and Martin Luther King
Black and White TV and 4 channels (counting PBS)
The Six Day War
No computers (gasp!)
The walk on the moon
The Vietnam War and the protests
Watergate and Nixon's resignation
Inflation and stagnation
Ronald Reagan shot (I remember his Borax commercials too)
The impeachment of William J. Clinton
The first calculator and giant cell phones
The first woman to run for Vice-President
The first Black President

Interesting times indeed...
;-)

Houses

Realtor Rick sounded very upbeat last night when he called and I hope and pray we will soon get the good news that our house is under contract again.  I am trying to "curb my enthusiasm"!

It got me to thinking of all the homes we've owned that somehow did manage to get sold even though none were as "saleable" as the one we have for sale now.

The condo in Evanston
The house in Pittsburgh
The condo in Prospect Heights
The house in Buffalo Grove
The house in Long Grove
The house in Pembroke Pines
The beach condo in Hollywood

I've got to remember that if they could get sold, so will my favorite one of them all!

;-)

Schadenfreude

Did you miss me Dear Diary?  I've had a bad case of pink eye for a week and working on the PC has been very tough. It still hurts a little and I vow to be more careful about rubbing my eyes with dirty hands. It's been a hard time for other reasons - hubby has been fighting a poison oak rash for weeks and the week in a hotel away from the comforts of home did not help. Cousin Harvey suffered a fall and spent a night in the hospital as they tried to get his bleeding under control, something made harder due to the blood thinner coumedin he takes. There was stress from the moving company and worry about the house in Hollywood that's still for sale. We bickered about changes hubby would like to make in the new house (all on Day One of course) and our nerves are raw, probably because we feel so crummy. Do you feel for me Dear Diary?  Then you are kind and sympathetic listener. 

I heard of a new-to-me word this week: Schadenfreude. It's German and means "the joy one feels at the misfortune or failure of others". Can you imagine having a word for this in your culture? Do German people actually experience this horrible emotion so often they require a single word to express it?  There are indeed some people that I am not above wishing a little bit of karma to come around and bite them on the you-know-what but I don't believe I've ever experienced "Joy on the Misfortune of Others".

Wish me a better week OK?  No Schadenfreude allowed!

;-)

Reprint

Obamacare (reprint from May 2, 2013)

I just finished reading this book on Obamacare.  It reads like a novel - a horror novel!  Scary is not the word. 

I chose this book because the author seemed well qualified to dissect the "Affordable" "Care" Act in a non-partisan and professional manner (and of course it was available at the library).  Like anything new, there are "winners" and "losers".  But I fear there will be far more losers than winners when the biggest part of this law goes into effect on New Year's Day 2014.

Intellectually speaking (I have to stretch here) it is a huge effort at social engineering. There is no doubt care will be stingier for us old folks who probably should not work so hard at staying alive and taxing the system.  Instead of that costly knee or hip replacement maybe we should just gulp down a painkiller. 

I see what my relatives have going for them in Canada and it is spooky.  My cousin - for whom money is not a problem - had to wait weeks to start treatment for breast cancer.  I fear this is what awaits us here in the States.  And just like a true horror story, there is literally No Way Out - everyone will be impacted.  The book's title is a bit of a fraud - there is no good way to "beat" Obamacare.

My next book will be on medical tourism - treatment available in other countries.

:-(

Georgia On My Mind

Del Webb Griffin Georgia

We leave tomorrow morning to drive the 358 miles to Atlanta where hubby is mentoring would-be PhD candidates for a week.  They  would have been happy to fly him in but I wanted to have our car and save on my airfare and besides by the time we drove to the Orlando airport and arrived two hours before the flight and flew there and rented a car and drove to the hotel, we might as well drive the whole way. As a Big Bonus, we'll spend a night, maybe more, with Jen and Eddie at their new retirement home about an hour outside of Atlanta.

Their new home sounds exactly like the retirement home Jen has been envisioning for the past 15 plus years, as long as I've known her. It's in a cooler climate with four seasons, near Eddie's family, surrounded by trees and rural countryside and in a community that appreciates home cooking (Jen is an Expert) and quilting (Jen is a Master). Quite a difference from the congestion, noise and hustle-bustle of South Florida!

Jen told me to make sure we "come hungry" and bring our winter coats, scarves and mittens. I wish I hadn't packed and stored the little imitation UGG boots I bought for Caren's wedding in Chicago in March!

I miss Jen and I am thrilled to be able to see her in her natural environment, the place she always knew she wanted to be...

:-)

Thanksgiving 2013

I was so looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. I planned to cook a small turkey and some simple side dishes in this little rental villa.  I envisioned continuing my personal tradition of naming each year's turkey and this year I anticipated stuffing "Harriet" (co-incidentally the name of the would-be-buyers-of-our-Hollywood-home's realtor). But with the closing on our new home the day before Thanksgiving, I see myself working instead of cooking.  Driving the golf cart the ten miles from the rental to the new house. Shlepping stuff out of the villa. Scoping out immediate needs like shelf liner and cleaning supplies. 

Last night I learned that K-Mart and Wal-Mart will be open all Thanksgiving Day, much to the chagrin and ire of Thanksgiving purists. I of course am pleased that there will be somewhere I can get anything I might require tout de suite. 

But Thanksgiving will not be the same without turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie.  And I surely will not feel up to dressing up for a fancy offering at one of the gorgeous Villages Country Clubs. 

The last time we were in Golden Corral I saw they were offering a Thanksgiving feast which will be both plentiful and casual.  Hubby said there would be something sad about having Thanksgiving at GC (he is not a big fan) but with a beautiful new home in the Villages finally ours, I think I can be Thankful anywhere!

;-)

It's A New Day

I woke up today feeling good. Getting two "stressors" out of our lives yesterday probably had something to do with it.  I'm feeling in control again and that feels fantastic.

Gone are the days when I will worry if someone will like me or if I'm doing well at work or if I'm keeping up with the Joneses.  Ah, such is the freedom that comes with age and a bit of financial security. 

Other rays of happiness snuck in yesterday.  A cute virtual card from a friend who misses me!  A text from a girlfriend.  An email from Jen in Georgia who said "come hungry" next week when we visit.  Positive (but not yet great) news on selling the house in Hollywood.  A move-in-sooner-date for our new house (can't wait!) and an offer from the seller for nice long pre-closing visit.  A check in the mail (I was worried it would be lost in the mail forwarding shuffle).

Happy me :-)

All Reverse Mortgage

After almost three full months of working with the Five-Star-Rated "All Reverse Mortgage Company"  and despite having impeccable credit, substantial assets, a nice government pension, ongoing earned income and a contract on a property the inspector said was "like new" and worth quite a bit more than we are paying for it, guess what? With our closing date exactly three weeks from today we still don't know if we have actually secured this reverse mortgage! Oh and did I mention we have jumped through every hoop, responded immediately to every request, moved the closing date (because the lender's software provider will not update the current LIBOR rates in their system until 13 hours after they are released) and disclosed all personal information except for bodily functions?

Yesterday we were asked to sign a form so the IRS can send our tax forms "within 48 hours". I guess the 50 pages of tax returns I already sent were not good enough. We also were asked for current payroll stubs. When I asked the simple question "do we have this reverse mortgage?" the answer I got was "yes, except for...."

How do I feel? Mad, Upset, Frustrated and believe-it-or-not Bullied. I was reduced to tears yesterday as I tried to fax even more forms in order to satisfy the almighty "underwriter" and the mythical "investor" and the omnipotent "HUD" (who I secretly believe would grant reverse mortgages to dead people).

I called the closing agent here in The Villages and asked how hard it would be to change our purchase to an all-cash transaction, even at this late date. She assured me it could easily be done. Thank God we have the means to do that if necessary.

:-/

Chris Christie

OK I admit it.  I'm a fan.  I love his no-nonsense approach to everything and I greatly admired his willingness to say out loud that President Obama did a terrific job during the Hurricane Sandy aftermath.  I believe he has strong principles - many of which I don't agree with - but his willingness to grudgingly admit there are differing views out there and compromise is the only way forward gives me hope for the future of our great country.

So I smiled when I read this quote from a speech he gave on the eve of his recent re-election to Governor of New Jersey:

Let me tell you, if you're looking for the candidate that you agree with 100% of the time, then I want you to do something for me tonight: Go home and look in the mirror, because that's the only person you agree with 100% of the time.

It's not just true of political candidates.  It's true of our friends, our co-workers, people whose paths we cross in everyday life and even - maybe especially - our spouses and loved ones. 

You Rock Governor!

;-)

Line Dancing

Wow!  I woke today to friend June's text asking if I want to try line dancing today at the Colony Cottage Recreation Center.  Of course I said yes, I'm always up for trying something new and fun (as long as it's not something like skydiving or bungee-jumping).

Truth-be-told line dancing was on my short list of stuff to try in my new life as an Active Adult (as opposed to Couch Potato Adult in my previous life).  My problem is that I am a Big Klutz and might never have ventured into even the Ultra-Beginner class with out a little push from a friend.

Thanks June!

;-)

Thank You God

I have been humbly asking God for some help the last two weeks. I have so much to be thankful for that I feel a little ashamed to be asking. But I know God does listen to my heartfelt prayers. I have proof, maybe not irrefutable proof to others, but indisputable, iron-clad, unassailable proof to me. He has answered me in both small and large, very large, ways. 

Baruch HaShem. Thank you God.

Lifelong Learning

When hubby received his doctorate at a rather late point in his life he dedicated his dissertation to my father and wrote that Dad had shown him "what lifelong learning truly was".  Wow, I was flabbergasted. 

It's true that my father had a passion for learning his entire life - new languages, astronomy, carpentry, zoology, history, you name it. I even caught him reading my high school and college textbooks a time or two.

So I am excited that The Villages offers extensive opportunities for lifelong learning. Their motto is "no grades, no stress, just fun".  I know I won't have time for a few months to fully partake in classes that pique my interest - I'll need to unpack hundreds of boxes and entertain my guests (Scott & family in December and Harvey and Vi in January) followed by a Cousins Cruise in February - but eventually you will find me at the Lifelong Learning College. I can't wait to start with the historical classes that have an underlying Jewish theme.
 
Today is Open House at the Lifelong Learning College so I'll get to scope everything out.  I'm sure Dad would have approved. 

Miss him so much...